Eugene Stepanenko, a Ukrainian war correspondent and TV presenter, brings to London a documentary telling a dramatic story of the battle for Debaltsevo, a key transport hub in the war-town east of Ukraine. In February 2015, it witnessed a tense stand-off between Ukrainian on one hand, and Russian troops and the local militia allied with them, on the other. Being virtually encircled and facing massive artillery fire and a tank-guided offensive, Ukrainians were forced to withdraw in order to prevent a massive loss of life.

The discussion will debate the film, look at the coverage of the war in media, how the narrative of this war has evolved and is impacted by Russia's concerted effort to obscure the the presence of its troops on the Ukrainian soil and the challenges to keep this conflict on the agenda of the global media.

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Mikheil Saakashvili was President of Georgia for two consecutive terms between 2004 and 2013. As a result of Saakashvili’s reforms in Georgia, the rate of corruption in the country was drastically reduced and the business environment was improved significantly. In 2015, Mr Saakahsvili became the governor of Ukraine's Odessa region, a post he held until November 2016.

The lecture will be introduced by Professor Ngaire Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government, and moderated by Yelyzaveta Yasko, current MPP student at the School and President of Oxford University Ukrainian Society.

The Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London is inviting everyone for the live broadcast of the Eurovision Grand Final in Kyiv. This year’s theme is ‘Celebrate Diversity!’ It will be an unforgettable evening, full of music and dance as well as delicious authentic Ukrainian food. Additionally, there will be a chance to enjoy some beer and a BBQ in the garden. Each ticket includes a free drink and authentic Ukrainian snacks.

Places are limited and early booking is advisable. All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards British-Ukrainian Aid’s humanitarian projects.

The Trinity term has begun, and this week we will have an outstanding opportunity to meet Gennadiy Afanasiev, a Ukrainian human rights activist of Crimean origin who spent over 400 days in Russian prison. One month after the annexation of Crimea, Mr Afanasiev was arrested on the charge of 'terrorist activities' after participating in pro-Ukrainian demonstrations and sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment in a Russian penal colony. As a result of a high-profile prisoner exchange, he was released in 2016. We are delighted to welcome him to Oxford to tell us about his struggles, captivity and ongoing activism.

International Film Society is showing one of Paradjanov’s masterpieces, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.

Paradjanov, an Armenian director and one of the great cinematic geniuses of Soviet cinema, tells a simple Romeo-and-Juliette-like story set in the Ukrainian Carpathian mountains. In Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, the simple tale of the unrequited love of Ivan and Marichka serves to revolutionise the art of story-telling in cinema, showing astonishing originality through the use of music, cinematography and camerawork. The film is a hypnotising whirlwind of colour and sound set against a background of folklore and traditional tales, which seems to come to us from another world. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/7516458